According to a report from AutoWeek.nl, Mercedes-Benz is taking a long, hard look at a new three-cylinder engine for its upcoming range of small cars and hybrids. Daimler already offers a 1.0-liter three-banger in the diminutive smart fortwo, and this new powerplant would likely be destined for the rear engine bay of both the next-gen smart as well as Mercedes' own A-, B- and C-Class cars.

In addition to the three-cylinder engine, Thomas Weber, director of group research and car development at Mercedes-Benz, says the German automaker plans to offer a hybrid powertrain option on each of its models – from minicars like the smart to its line of large luxury sedans and commercial vans. To make that goal a reality, MB is working to reduce the weight of its hybrid drivetrain by 10 percent.

The last interesting little nugget from this report is that Mercedes is looking for a partner to help develop this small engine family. We can't help but recall rumors from last month indicating that fellow German automaker BMW was working on its own new three-cylinder engine architecture. How 'bout a collaboration?


[Source: AutoWeek.nl]

With the Mercedes-Benz S400 Hybrid about to hit the market, the very important question of value arises. Until now, for most automakers, there has not been an opportunity to compare basically the same vehicle with hybrid and diesel powertrains. We had hoped to do that next year with the diesel for GM's full-size light duty pickups, but we know how that story ended.

Mercedes is, of course, the original builder of diesel cars and all of its models come so equipped in Europe. While the S400 Hybrid has a clear efficiency advantage over the standard gas engined S350, going from 24 to 30 mpg on the EU combined cycle, the diesel-powered S350 CDI clocks in at an even better 31 mpg. The big difference is the price. In Europe, the S400 Hybrid commands a hefty $17,100 premium over the diesel. There are likely equipment differences between the two, but that's still a pretty absurd premium. It will be even more interesting to see how the prices of the diesel and two-mode hybrid versions of the ML compare when the hybrid goes on sale late this year in the U.S.


[Source: Automobile]

Mercedes Benz has announced an updated and expanded range of bicycles for 2009/10. The new lineup includes two-wheelers of all shapes and sizes, including a pair of kids bikes. For more grown-up riders, Mercedes has you covered no matter what your riding style. There are the usual choices of mountain bikes and road racing bikes. There is also a new folding bike with a patented folding mechanism that allows it to collapse quickly without tools. In the fully collapsed position the bike takes up a volume of 31 inches by 31 inches by 14 inches. It even has front and rear suspensions.

There are also trekking and fitness bikes and no Mercedes bike rider would be complete without a set of Mercedes riding clothes. Of course, in typical Mercedes fashion, the technology comes with a price to match. The bikes range from €299 for the kid's bike to €4,999 for the limited edition carbon fiber racing bike.


[Source: Mercedes-Benz]

The first-ever hybrid Mercedes-Benz is scheduled to go on sale here in the United States in August. The upcoming S400 will feature a mild hybrid drivetrain with a 20-horsepower, disk-shaped electric motor sandwiched between the 305-horsepower 3.5L V6 and 7-speed automatic transmission. Sending electrons to the electric side of the drivetrain will be the world's first mass-produced lithium ion battery pack for automotive use.

That's great, but it will only be available in left-hand drive, meaning that it won't be available in the United Kingdom. Speaking to Channel 4, Dr Thomas Weber, an executive in charge of research and development at Mercedes-Benz, said:

We do see hybrids as part of our future, so we do want to bring them to the UK eventually - and because 80% of sales in the UK are for diesel we are also looking to produce diesel hybrids too.

Eventually is an awfully vague word, no? When asked for clarification, Weber responded, "It's difficult to say when, but it'll be within five years I would think." So, there you have it.


[Source: Channel 4]

In just a few minutes, Daimler will be starting a press conference with Dr. Thomas Weber, the head of R&D for Mercedes-Benz. Dr. Weber will be making an announcement about a new strategic partnership for electric vehicles. Most of the speculation at this point involves a possible investment in Tesla Motors. The startup is already supplying batteries and charging systems for the second generation Smart ED.

655am: We're just waiting for Dr. Weber to come to the podium

658am: It is Tesla. They just flashed a slide up on the screen with the daimler and Tesla logos.

705am: Still waiting for the start of the press conference, wondering if Musk will join Weber at the podium

706am Now beginning.



continue after the jump.

Despite the Obama administration gutting funding for hydrogen and fuel cells, Daimler is not yet ready to quit the game. Next month at the UITP Congress in Vienna (the World Congress of the International Association of Public Transport) Mercedes-Benz will debut its next generation Citaro FuelCELL hybrid bus. Daimler has been working on fuel cell buses since 1997 and the new buses will be deployed into test fleets across Europe beginning this fall.

Previous generations of Mercedes' fuel cell buses have accumulated more than 1.2 million miles and 135,000 hours of service in field testing. The new bus incorporates technology from the recently introduced Citaro G BlueTec hybrid bus and uses a series hybrid configuration with hub motors and a lithium ion battery. The hybrid powertrain, which relies more on the battery for transient power requirements allowing the fuel cell to run at constant output, cuts fuel consumption by 10-25 percent.

[Source: Daimler]

As the U.S. media is driving the new 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-class in Las Vegas this week, word comes out that this platform may be the next recipient of hybrid technology. The first two Mercedes-Benz hybrids will be the S400 and ML450 coming this summer and fall, respectively. When the E hybrid lands, it will likely be an E400 using the same mild hybrid system as its big brother. That means a 3.5-liter V6 along with a 15 kW pancake motor/generator. Like the S400, packaging should be straightforward thanks to a lithium ion battery the size of the standard 12V battery. It's not known when or if the E400 hybrid will join the U.S. lineup because of the model proliferation that Mercedes is trying to avoid. The E is smaller and lighter than the S, so an E400 should top 30 mpg combined.

[source: The Car Connection]

Mercedes-Benz plans to introduce stop/start technology sometime next year on its turbodiesel-powered E200 sedan in Europe, but don't expect to see the fuel-saving bits on models equipped with an automatic transmission for a little while longer. According to Christoph Spengel, a powertrain engineer at the German automaker:

Fitting the system to any engine and gearbox is not a problem, we can get reliability quite easily. Achieving the smoothness of the start is the real problem. Engaging the starter takes a little time, and then firing the engine takes a little time, and it is important that our system does not disturb the driver.

Adapting stop/start to automatic transmissions is a priority at Mercedes-Benz, and the automaker believes it will have the technology ready by 2011. By that time, stop/start could be fitted on nearly every model rolling down the line, including those fitted with massively powerful V8 engines.

[Source: Autocar]

Just the other day, Mercedes-Benz put its hydrogen-powered F-CELL Roadster concept on the road for the very first time. While that vehicle isn't exactly what you'd call practical for the vast majority of mankind, the German automaker has another hydrogen-powered automobile that's set to make its first public appearance in short order. The new zero-emission vehicle will be based on the B-Class and will reportedly enter small-scale series production before the end of the year.

This little tidbit was briefly mentioned in the automaker's latest press release, which is pasted after the break. We'd expect the fuel-cell B-Class to take inspiration from the Mercedes-Benz BlueZero concept vehicles that made their debuts at the Detroit Auto Show earlier this year.

Daimler also confirmed plans to build a few electric smart fortwo hatchbacks sometime around the end of 2009 for testing under the e-mobility Berlin project.


[Source: Mercedes-Benz]

Mercedes-Benz USA is making some changes to the lineup for the 2010 model year with new and revised diesel models and hybrids launching. First up, the existing diesel SUVs get new names with the ML320, R320 and GL320 getting a bump to ML350, GL350 and R350. As far as we know, nothing has actually changed for the second year of these 50-state legal BlueTec diesels other than the badges and a light cosmetic facelift for the GL that debuted at the New York Auto show.

August will bring with it the initial availability of Mercedes' first hybrid. The 2010 S400 equipped with a mild hybrid system will be the first widely available hybrid car with a lithium ion battery. Come December, the ML450 hybrid will debut Mercedes' implementation of two mode hybrid technology. Early in 2010, the new Tier 2 Bin 5 compliant E350 BlueTec with urea injection goes on sale in the U.S. using the same 3.0-liter V6 diesel powertrain found in the SUVs.


[Source: Mercedes-Benz]